WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 for the second straight day in what appears to be a rare case of a “rebound” after treatment with antiviral medication.
In a letter noting the positive test, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, said Sunday that the president “continues to feel well” and will continue to work from the executive residence while he is in isolation.
Biden tested positive on Saturday, requiring him to cancel travel and personal events while he self-isolates for at least five days under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
After initially testing positive on July 21, Biden, 79, was treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid. He tested negative for the virus this past Tuesday and Wednesday, allowing him to leave isolation wearing a mask indoors.
Research suggests that a minority of those prescribed Paxlovid experience a rebound case of the virus. The fact that there may have been a rebound rather than a re-infection is a positive sign for Biden’s health once he is free of the disease.
“The fact that the president has cleared his illness and has no symptoms is a good sign and less likely that he will develop prolonged COVID,” said Dr. Albert Ho, an infectious disease specialist at Yale University’s school of public health. .
